Vise-jaw face plate slidable and pivotable on backwardly sloping jaw surface



2,861,492 ABLE Nov. 25, 1958 A. P. HOKANSON VISE-JAW FACE PLATE SLIDABLE AND PIVOT 0N BACKWARDLY SLOPIgG {AVBVESURFACE Filed Sept.

Rm m m N0 a i 1&1 P 8% M m W & m f w 8 Uited States Patent '0 VISE-JAW FACE PLATE SLIDABLE AND PIVOT- ON BACKWARDLY SLOPING JAW SUR- Alfred P. Hokanson, Hyde Park, Mass. Application September 8, 1955, Serial No. 533,137 6 Claims. (Cl. 81-38) This invention relates to vises and more particularly to those types of vises used in machine shops for doing precision work with metal.

While working metal in such operations as the making of dies, it is necessary that the stock be held firmly against the bed of the vise in which it is supported. This is difficult to achieve with vises now in use for there is a tendency for the stock to crawl upwardly between the vise jaws when they are tightened. This is particularly true when the vise employed is slightly worn in such places as the tracks of the movable jaw for slight upward movement of the jaw will carry the stock with it. Because movement of the stock just a few thousandths of an inch from the bed may make it impossible to achieve the precision required in making such things as dies, the disastrous effect of but slight wear of the parts of the vise will be appreciated.

Another problem of considerable importance in the machine shop is how to hold stock of nonuniform thickness between the jaws of a vise. That is, if the stock being worked is thicker at one endthan the other, parallel gripping surfaces of the jaws of the vise cannot hold the stock firmly against the bed. Sometimes, it is necessary to introduce between the stock and the gripping surface of one of the jaws a wedge-shaped element to compensate for the lack of uniform thickness.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a vise capable of holding stock firmly against the bed of the vise.

A second important object of my invention is to provide a vise capable of compensating for irregularities of stock thickness without the use of special inserts or other similar devices.

To accomplish these and other objects, my vise includes as one important feature movable gripping members mounted on the inner surfaces of the jaws of the vise and which move downwardly when pressure is exerted against them. Thus, as the jaws of the vise are tightened on the stock, the gripping members force the stock down against the bed of the vise. to the jaws by screws which pass through vertically elongated slots in the vise jaws. The screws in the slots permit the gripping members to move vertically with respect to the bed. Co-operating inclined mating surfaces in the gripping members and the jaws cause this action. Compression springs and balls disposed in the jaws beneath the gripping members yieldingly urge the gripping members to a raised position. i

The manner in which the gripping members are mounted on the jaws permits one end of each of the gripping members to lead the other end in its downward movement. As will be made clear in the following detailed description, this feature compensates for irregularities in the thickness of the stock.

These and other objects and features of my invention along with incident advantages will be more readily understood and appreciated from the following detailed descrip- The gripping members are secured ftion of one embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of Figure 4 is a detail view in section taken along section.

line 44 in Figure 1.

The vise illustrated in the drawings includes in its general organization a bed 10, a fixed jaw 12, and a movable jaw 14.

The jaw 14 moves along the upper surface'16 of the bed 10 and is guided by plates 18 positioned in slots 20 beneath the bed surface. The plates 18 are screwed to downwardly projecting guide pins 22 which are integrally formed with the movable jaw 14. Two such slats 20, plates 18, and pins 22 are provided in order to prevent twisting of the movable jaw on the vise bed It). An enlarged screw 24 having a handle 26 cooperates with a threaded passage 28 in a frame member 30 and controls the position of the movable jaw 14. The terminal portion 32 of the screw 24 is not threaded, but is journaled in a plate 34 embedded in the jaw 14. Obviously, the means for actuating the jaw 14 may take any form, the means illustrated merely being representative of all of the well known jaw-actuating systems.

The inner surfaces of the jaws 12 and 14 are recessed as suggested at 36, the recesses being defined by inclined surfaces 38 extending downwardly and outwardly from the tops of the jaws. Second inclined surfaces 40 define the lower terminal portions of the recesses 36 and are disposed normal to the surfaces 38.

Gripping members 42 made of hardened steel have inner vertical surfaces 44 and inclined outer surfaces 46 which mate with the surfaces 33 in the jaws 12 and 14. The gripping members 42 disposed in the recesses 36 are each held in position by a pair of screws 48 which extend through coaxial holes 50 and 51 in the jaws. As shown in Figure 4, the holes 5'0 and 51 are vertically elongated and have different cross-sectional areas so as to form shoulders 52 which provide tracks for heads 54 of the screws 48.

From the foregoing description, it will be appreciated that pressure applied against the inner surfaces 44 of the gripping members 42 will cause them to move downwardly along the surfaces 38. Because the vertical surfaces 44 on the gripping members are disposed inwardly from vertical surfaces 56 of the jaws 12 and 14, pressure is applied to the gripping members when the jaws are tightened against the stock (not shown) held in the vise.

Holes 58 are bored in the jaws 12 and 14 downwardly from the inclined surfaces. 40 and house compression springs 61) and hardened steel balls 62. The compression springs 61) press the steel balls 62 against the bottom of the gripping members 42 and urge those members to a raised position. Thus, in the absence of pressure against the inner surfaces 44, the gripping members are biased to the position illustrated in Figure 1.

Continued use of the vise causes considerable wear of the plates 13 and the slots 20. As a result, the jaw 14 is not confiined to a path wherein its gripping surface 44 remains perpendicular to the bed surface 16 of the vise. Thus, stock held in the vise may crawl upwardly a few thousandths of an inch off the bed when gripped by the jaws. However, from theforegoing description of my invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that as the inner surfaces 44 of the gripping members 42 engage the stock, further tightening of the movable jaw 14 causes the gripping members 42 to move downwardly in their recesses 36 and to forcethe stock firmly against the bed surface 16.

Paftented Nov. 25, less Now consider the manner in which the gripping members 42 compensate for stock which lacks uniformity of thickness. Referring now to Figure 2., the reader will appreciate thatif the stock introduced between the ,jaws of the vise is thicker at one end than at the other, the ends of the gripping members 42 nearer the thicker side of the stock will lead the other ends of the gripping members in their downward movement towards the bed surface 16. Therefore, the gap between the surfaces 44 of the gripping members adjacent the thicker end of the stock will be wider than the gap at the other end; for as the gripping members move downwardly, the planes of the surfaces 44 advance toward the planes of the surfaces 56 of the jaws 12 and 14. Because the holes 50 and 51 in the jaws 12 and 14 are somewhat wider than the diameters of the heads 54 and the shanks of the screws 43, this limited twisting or pivotal movements of the gripping members 42 on the blocks is permitted. Stated in a somewhat simplified manner, the relative sizes of the holes and 51 and the heads 54 and shanks of the screws 48 permit one end of each of the gripping members to precede the other end in its downward travel. Thus, the need for wedge-shaped blocks between the stock and the gripping members to compensate for slight tapers in the stock thickness is eliminated.

Although the foregoing description has been confined to a vise originally built with my invention incorporated into it, obviously, my invention may be incorporated into existing conventional vises. A unit such as the movable jaw 14 may be screwed directly to the jaws of a conventional vise and the same benefits will be derived as enumerated above. The unit would duplicate the jaw 14 with the single exception that it would not contain the guide pin 22. and plate 18. It is possible to dispense with these elements for the jaws to which the units are attached would be equipped with either duplicate or equivalent guide means.

From the foregoing description, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications may be made of the illustrated embodiment of my invention without departing from the function thereof. Therefore, it is not my intention to limit the breadth of my invention to the single embodiment illustrated and described, but rather that the scope of my invention be determined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination with a vise having a fixed and a movable jaw and a bed, said movable jaw being confined to movement translationally toward and away from the fixed jaw; apparatus comprising first inclined surfaces formed on the inner walls of the jaws, said first inclined surfaces extending downwardly and outwardly from the tops of the jaws and terminating in second surfaces perpendicular to the first surfaces and extending to the inner walls of the jaws, gripping members having inclined surfaces formed on their outer walls and mating with the inclined surfaces of the jaws and having bottom surfaces parallel to the second surfaces in the jaws, said gripping members having vertical inner walls disposed inwardly of the inner walls of the jaws, vertically elongated openings extending through the jaws, said openings terminating in and being normal to the inclined surfaces of the jaws through which they extend, screws having portions of lesser diameter than the width of said elongated openings, said screws being secured to the gripping members and said portions being movable vertically and horizontally in the openings whereby said gripping members may move upwardly, downwardly and pivotally on the inclined walls of the jaws, and means for yieldably urging the gripping members to a raised position against the upper portion of the inclined surface of the jaws.

2. In a vise having a fixed and a movable jaw and a bed, said movable jaw being confined to movement translationally toward and away from the fixed jaw; apparatus comprising gripping members slidably secured to the inner surface of the jaws and having inner vertical gripping surfaces, means responsive to pressures exerted on the gripping surfaces causing the ends of the gripping members nearer to the location of the applied pressures to move downwardly towards the bed in advance of the other end of the gripping members, and means for yieldably urging the gripping members away from the bed.

3. In a vise having a plurality of jaws, one of which is confined to movement translationally toward and away from the other; apparatus comprising a first inclined surface formed on the inner wall of at least one of the jaws and extending downwardly and outwardly from the top of that jaw, a second inclined surface perpendicular to the first inclined surface and extending from the bottom of the first surface to the inner wall of the jaw, a gripping member having an inner vertical surface and an inclined outer surface mating with the inclined surface formed in the wall of that jaw, the bottom of the member being parallel to the second inclined surface, vertically elongated slots cut diagonally through that jaw with their axes normal to the mating inclined surfaces, screws extending through the slots and engaging the gripping member for retaining the gripping member in slidable contact with the inclined surface of that jaw, said screws having a smaller diameter than the width of the slots and permitting twisting of the gripping member on the inclined surface of the jaw, and means recessed in that jaw and bearing against the gripping member yieldingly urging the gripping member in an upwardly direction on the inclined surface of the jaw.

4. An attachment for a vise, comprising a block having a flat side adapted to bear against the jaw of a vise and a flat bottom adapted to rest upon the bed of a vise, a recess cut in the other side of the block and defined by a first surface extending upwardly and outwardly from said other side of the block and a second surface extending upwardly and normal to the first surface, a gripping member disposed in the recess and having an inclined surface mating with the upwardly extending second surface and a bottom surface parallel to the first surface, said gripping member having a vertical height less than the vertical height of the recess, mean for holding the inclined surface of the gripping member in slidable engagement with the second surface of the recess, said means permitting the inclined surface of the gripping member to move upwardly, downwardly and pivotally on the second inclined surface, and means yieldably urging each half of the gripping member in an upwardly direction on the second inclined surface.

5. An attachment for a vise comprising a block having a flat side adapted to bear against the jaw of a vise and a flat bottom adapted to rest upon the bed of a vise, a gripping member slidably secured to the other side of the block and having a vertical gripping surface, means responsive to pressure exerted on the gripping surface of the gripping member causing that end of the gripping member nearer to the location of the applied pressure to move downwardly on said other side of the block in advance of the other end of the gripping member, said means includ ng vertically elongated passages through the block adjacent each end of the gripping member, and screws disposed in and movable vertically and horizontally in the elongated passages and secured to the gripping member; and means for yieldably urging the gripping member upwardly on said other side of the block.

6. A vise attachment comprising a block having a flat side adapted to bear against the jaw of a vise and a flat bottom adapted to rest upon the bed of a vise, a recess formed in the other side of the block gradually increasing in depth in a downwardly direction, a gripping member disposed in the recess and having a vertical gripping surface outside of the recess and a bottom parallel to the bottom of the recess, a cavity formed in the bottom of the recess, a compression spring disposed in the cavity, a hardened steel ball smaller than the diameter of the cavity and engaging the bottom of the gripping member and the top of the compression spring, means responsive to pressure exerted on the gripping surface causing that end of the gripping member nearer to the location of the applied pressure to move downwardly against the action of the compression spring in advance of the other end of the gripping member, and said means including means passing through the block and engaging the gripping member for slidably holding the gripping member in the recess against the rear wall thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 381,890 Taylor Apr. 24, 1888 1,120,649 DeLeeuw Dec. 8, 1914 1,125,207 Streeter et a1 Jan. 19, 1915 1,349,963 Jerrim Aug. 17, 1920 

